Former Warrant singer Jani Lane dies in Los Angeles

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Jani Lane, the once energetic blond lead singer and songwriter for heavy metal band Warrant, has been found dead in a Los Angeles motel room, police said. He was 47.

Lane, best known for singing lead vocals and writing the Hollywood glam band's hits such as "Cherry Pie" that led them to success in the late 1980s and early 1990s, was discovered in a motel in Woodland Hills on Thursday, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles Police Department said.

The cause of his death was unknown and coroner's officials were conducting an investigation into Lane's death.

The Ohio-born Lane left Warrant left several times, including in 1993 and 2004, before returning for a series for concerts in 2008, after which he left the band permanently.

Lane also pursued a solo career and appeared on a reality TV series about celebrities aiming to lose weight. He had been arrested several times for drunk driving.

The appearance of the formerly big-haired leather-clad singer, who would often bounce around on stage and dive into the audience, had changed in recent years as he sported cropped hair and glasses.

Warrant's other hits included "Heaven," and "Sometimes She Cries" and the rock anthem "Down Boys."